The Pond Ecosystem Helen Ann Sephton Environmental Educator Hitchcock Center for the Environment

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The Pond Ecosystem Helen Ann Sephton Environmental Educator Hitchcock Center for the Environment The Pond Ecosystem Helen Ann Sephton Environmental Educator Hitchcock Center for the Environment Topic Focus: Life Science Recommended Level Grade 3 Time Frame This unit is composed of 11 Lessons and a final Presentation session. Lesson lengths vary but are 45 minutes on average. Objectives As a result of these experiences, students will: - Understand that scientific knowledge is an ongoing process, and that they can make a contribution to that knowledge. - Collect data from observations and use it to make reasonable conclusions. - Create a model of a pond food web, demonstrating an understanding of the inter- relationships of plants and animals in a pond. - Understand that a pond is an ecosystem that provides food, water, shelter, and oxygen for a variety of plants and animals to live and reproduce. - Understand that organisms have specific adaptations, characteristics that allow them to survive and reproduce, and describe specific examples of aquatic animal adaptations. - Understand that a pond is an essential place for many animals during part or all of their life cycles. - Describe the life cycle of the dragonfly, demonstrating an understanding of metamorphosis. - Understand that some animals (e.g. some species of dragonfly) migrate during their lives and therefore depend on more than one habitat. - Create a field guide to the pond to share with their school community. The Pond Ecosystem 1 Next Generation Science Standards April 2013 The following standards were drawn from the Topic ArranGements of the NGSS. The same standards may be found in the DCI (Disciplinary Core Idea) ArranGements. The two relevant topics for this unit are (1) Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems and (2) Inheritance and Variation of Traits. Note: LS refers to Life Science Performance Expectations - Students who demonstrate understanding can: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems 3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. 3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change. Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits 3-LS1-1. Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. 3-LS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. 3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. 3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. Science and Engineering practices: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena using logical reasoning. (3-LS4 -3) - Construct an argument from evidence and data about the natural world. (3-LS2-1) - Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem. Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits - Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena using logical reasoning. (3-LS4-1) - Use evidence (e.g., observations, patterns) to support an explanation. (3-LS3-2) - Use evidence (e.g., observations, patterns) to construct an explanation. (3-LS-2) Connections to Nature of Science Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence - Science findings are based on recognizing patterns. (3-LS1-1) The Pond Ecosystem 2 Disciplinary Core Ideas: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet others move into the transformed environment, and some die. LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior 1. Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves, and cope with changes. Groups may serve different functions and vary dramatically in size (Note: Moved from K–2). (3-LS2-1) LS4.C: Adaptation 2. For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3) LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans 3. Populations live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats affects the organisms living there. (3-LS4-4) Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms - Reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles. (3-LS1-1) LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits - Many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents. (3-LS3-1) - Other characteristics result from individuals’ interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning. Many characteristics involve both inheritance and environment. (3-LS3-2) LS4.B: Natural Selection - Sometimes the differences in characteristics between individuals of the same species provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. (3-LS4-2) Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect • Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change. (3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3) Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Observable phenomena exist from very short to very long time periods. (3-LS4-1) Systems and System Models • A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions. (3-LS4-4) Patterns • Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort and classify natural phenomena. (3-LS3-1) Connections to Nature of Science Consistency in Natural Systems - Science assumes consistent patterns in natural systems. (3-LS4-1) The Pond Ecosystem 3 Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy — RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. (3-LS2-1),(3-LS4-1),(3-LS4-3),(3-LS4-4) R1.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g. maps, photographs)and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g. where, when, why and how key events occur). (3-LS1-1) W.3.1 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. (3-LS4-1),(3-LS3-3),(3-LS3-4) W.3.9 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. (3-LS4-1) SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. (3-LS4-3,(3-LS4-4) Mathematics — MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (3-LS3-1),(3-LS3-2),(3-LS4-2) MP.4 Model with mathematics. (3-LS1-1),(3-LS3-1),(3-LS3-2),(3-LS4-2) MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically. (3-LS4-1) 3.NBT Number and Operations in Base Ten (3-LS1-1) 3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. The Pond Ecosystem 4 Unit Rationale: In the northeast, we are abundant in ponds. Most communities have ponds that are known to their residents and are visited by families, bird watchers, and lovers of water. People are drawn to water for many reasons: to fish, play, observe wildlife, and to find a peaceful respite from busy lives. A healthy pond is also an ecosystem where a great diversity of animal and plant species may be found, perhaps more than any other ecosystem in this part of the world. While many animals, like fish, will spend all of their lives in a pond, many others will inhabit the pond for only part of their life cycle. The American Toad is one such animal. Eggs hatch in as little as 2 days, and toadlets are ready to leave the pond for their woodland habitat within 55 days. At any time or season, a pond offers the observer a rich experience in how animals and plants interact with each other and with their environment. As a local place for students to experience an ecosystem at work, there is nothing like a pond! The scale and accessibility is ideal for elementary students. In just one visit, students can easily collect and observe a great diversity of fascinating animals and plants with adaptations to living in water that are truly astonishing. Through a season, they can witness animals go through unusual life cycles. They can learn how to carefully handle and release live animals. These first-hand experiences help children connect to their place in the natural world, and give them a real world, concrete understanding of concepts such as ecosystem, adaptation, and metamorphosis. Collecting real data gives children the opportunity to do what scientists do: learn through their own observations and discoveries. And children love water. If there is not a pond within walking distance of your school, most of the activities in this unit can be brought into the classroom, and some aquatic animals can be purchased from a biological supply company (see resources.) However, it is strongly recommended that you actually take your students to a pond. For many children, the experience is powerful, and the pond itself is the perfect motivator for learning. You may contact your local nature center as a resource for visiting a pond.
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